LeBron James was drawing Michael Jordan comparisons long before the Cleveland Cavaliers made him the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
James was playing in front of packed gyms and on national television for an otherwise unknown St. Vincent’s-St. Mary’s high school team, putting the eyes of the world on Akron, Ohio.
Everything he’s accomplished, and every single time he’s fallen short, the conversation has revolved around whether he’s better than Jordan or if he’ll never reach that level of greatness.
That’s why, now that he’s looking at the mortality of his legendary basketball career, James finally opened up on these comparisons via ESPN insider Dave McMenamin.
LeBron James shares his honest thoughts on Michael Jordan
“There are a lot of things that MJ did better than I do,” James told McMenamin, “and I think there are some things that I do better than him. That’s just how the game goes. There’s a lot of things that I can say in particular. You already know how this conversation is going to be [misinterpreted] by people, man.”
“I think I am one of one. I think the way I play the game, I am a one-of-one player. And MJ, as well. A (expletive) unbelievable basketball player. I think his midrange jump shot was unbelievable. He did so many things great. I grew up (expletive) analyzing everything that he did, how he could get to his spot and rise up above everybody. Obviously, his post game was elite. His will to win. I think that is a trait that we all know and that we all wanted to be like. His determination to win.”
The bad part, says LeBron, is that people usually make it seem as if they can’t respect both of them. Notably, he knows he’s gotten the short end of the stick in the debate more often than not:
“You can look at both of us and say that you love both of us without trying to (expletive) on the other person. And usually, it’s (expletive) on me,” James continued. “But I know for sure that I’ve done my part in this journey.”
The GOAT debate is futile and outdated
At the end of the day, basketball fans should be able to appreciate what both of them have done for the game.
Trying to decide who’s better is nothing but an exercise for the imagination. There’s no truely objective way to determine that.
Some may argue that James’ longevity and well-rounded game make him better. Others could argue that playing longer doesn’t make him better or more dominant, or cite Jordan’s perfect NBA Finals record to bolster their case.
Both can be right and wrong at the same time. Moreover, it’s hard to believe anyone would change their mind about this debate at this point in time.
Maybe fans can just agree to disagree, and regardless of how they feel about one or the other, simply acknowledge the greatness of each.